Various electronic book systems are known. One electronic book system is capable of recognizing print elements such as figures, letters, and codes that are printed on the sheets of a book. The book is mounted at a fixed location, and the user can arbitrarily designate a specific location to identify a particular print element on the sheet. A sensor system can detect the arbitrarily-designated location. A location detection circuit can, from a determination of an absolute location signal or a predetermined reference point, plus the arbitrarily-designated location point, determine the print element that the user selected. A ROM (read only memory) can be appropriately addressed by the sensor system to provide additional information corresponding print element. The ROM contains the location of the selected print element and related information for that location. The related information can be retrieved for subsequent processing, for example, by a computer-driven system that can provide audio and video images that are related to the selected print element.
While such electronic book systems are useful, many improvements could be made. For example, such electronic book systems do not engage a user in any other activity than selecting a particular figure or letter. To help a user retain knowledge of a particular figure or letter, it would be desirable if the user could interact with the electronic book systems in other ways. Moreover, it would be desirable if the electronic book systems could have other features that could attract a user to use it. By doing so, a user would become more engaged with the book system. The electronic book system could thus be a more effective learning tool than such conventional systems.
Embodiments of the invention address these and other problems.
One embodiment of the invention is directed to a method of generating audio output, the method comprising: a) placing a sheet having a print element printed on the sheet on a surface of a base unit; b) marking on the sheet in the vicinity of the print element with a marking instrument; and c) generating an audio output that corresponds to the print element.
Another embodiment of the invention is directed to an interactive apparatus comprising: a) a base unit comprising i) a surface for receiving a sheet having a print element printed on the sheet, ii) an array of electrical elements under the surface, iii) a processor operatively coupled to the array of electrical elements, iv) a memory operatively coupled to the processor, and v) an audio output device operatively coupled to the processor; and b) a marking instrument that is adapted to mark on the sheet in the vicinity of the print element, wherein the audio output device is adapted to provide audio output that relates to the print element when a user makes a mark in the vicinity of the print element with the marking instrument.
Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a system comprising: a) a server computer; b) an interactive apparatus comprising a base unit, wherein the base unit includes i) a surface for receiving a sheet having a print element printed on the sheet, ii) an array of electrical elements under the surface, iii) a processor operatively coupled to the array of electrical elements, iv) a memory operatively coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises an output that is related to the print element, and v) an output device operatively coupled to the processor, wherein the output device is adapted to generate the output after a user interacts with the print element while the sheet is on the surface; c) a client computer operatively coupled to the server computer; and d) a printer operatively coupled to the client computer.
Another embodiment of the invention is directed to a method comprising: a) sending code for a sheet having a print element printed on the sheet from a server computer to a client computer at a user site; b) printing the sheet at the user site; c) placing the sheet on a base unit of an interactive apparatus, wherein the base unit includes a surface and an array of electrical elements under the surface; d) interacting with the print element while the sheet is on the base unit; and e) producing an output related to the print element in response to the interaction with the print element.
These and other embodiments are described in further detail below.